With crunchy edges and a tangy-spicy sauce, these sweet chili cauliflower lettuce wraps are an absolute flavor and texture party. The sauce only has 8 ingredients and just simmers on the stove for a few minutes. Once the cauliflower is roasted in the oven with cornstarch, oil, and spices, you just have to assemble with lettuce leaf wraps and enjoy! The slightly crunchy texture combined with the spicy sauce is similar to these well-loved coconut tofu lettuce wraps. Whether you’re serving them as a light vegan main or a side dish, these wraps are so satisfying.
I am a big a fan of the sweet chili flavor profile. A homemade version of the sauce is simple to whip up in a saucepan. It’s also the perfect flavor foil to slightly crunchy, deeply caramelized roasted cauliflower in these cauliflower lettuce wraps.
I saw an Instagram post from Milk Street that demonstrated how to add extra crispiness to roasted non-starchy vegetables. Turns out you just need a good amount of cornstarch and a very hot oven. I think their description of “oven fried” on the website is a bit of a stretch honestly! The edges do get deeply browned and have a nice toothsome bite when done though.
It’s fun to assemble these little cauliflower lettuce wraps with generous drizzles of the sauce. Leaf lettuce or Boston/butter leaves work best for this application.
I did attempt this recipe with arrowroot starch and while the sauce thickened and was fine, the cauliflower wasn’t the same. There’s just nothing like cornstarch for that crunch factor! Apologies to my folks with corn sensitivities. I want to try the cauliflower alone with potato starch in another kitchen test round. I’ll follow up here if I have success!
Hope you love this simple and mega high flavor recipe :)
Roasted Cauliflower Lettuce Wraps with Sweet Chili Sauce
Ingredients
Sweet Chili Sauce
- ⅓ cup unseasoned rice vinegar
- ⅓ cup maple syrup
- ⅓ cup + 1 tablespoon water, divided
- 1 tablespoon Sambal Oelek
- ½ teaspoon Tamari soy sauce
- ½ teaspoon paprika (purely for color)
- 1 clove garlic, finely minced with a Microplane
- 2-inch piece ginger, finely minced with a Microplane
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
Cauliflower & Assembly
- 2 lbs (908 grams) cauliflower florets (from roughly 1 large head)
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- 1 ½ teaspoons paprika
- 1 ½ teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons onion powder
- sea salt and ground black pepper, to taste
- Leaves of Boston/Butter or leaf lettuce, for wrapping
Notes
- The cornstarch roasting method is inspired by Milk Street and I very lightly adapted the sauce from Daring Gourmet.
- I attempted this recipe with arrowroot starch in place of the cornstarch and while the sauce was fine, the cauliflower just wasn’t the same. It didn’t have that little crunchy edge unfortunately.
- The sauce will keep in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 1 week.
- I know it seems like a ton of cauliflower, but it does shrink up quite a bit after its time in the oven.
- This cauliflower/sauce combo is excellent as part of a grain bowl.
Instructions
Prepare the sweet chili sauce
- In a small saucepan, combine the rice vinegar, maple syrup, ⅓ cup water, Sambal Oelek, Tamari, paprika, garlic, and ginger. Bring to a boil. In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining tablespoon of water and 2 teaspoons of cornstarch. Add this slurry to the sauce and continue to whisk until thickened.
- Transfer the sauce to a jar or bowl and let it cool completely in the fridge where it will continue to thicken.
Prepare the cauliflower
- Preheat the oven to 475°F and set out 2 baking sheets.
- Place cauliflower florets in a large bowl and toss with the avocado oil. In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Pour this mixture directly over the cauliflower. Use a spatula to toss the cauliflower in the starch and spice mixture. If it feels like the cornstarch isn’t sticking, just keep tossing and stirring!
- When properly coated, dump the cauliflower out evenly onto the 2 baking sheets. Spread the cauliflower out and roast for 15 minutes. At the 15 minute mark, remove the cauliflower from the oven and give it a flip and toss with a spatula. Pop it back in the oven for another 15-20 minutes, or until deeply golden brown.
- To serve, lay out your lettuce leaves on a platter. Transfer the cauliflower to the lettuce leaves and then generously top each portion with the sweet chili sauce. Enjoy immediately!
Obviously the cauliflower is ideally eaten fresh out of the oven, but here’s what I’ve been doing with leftovers (a different kind of wrap):
-medium tortilla
-shmear of garlic/lemon/yogurt sauce
-handful of arugula tossed lightly with salt, pepper, a few drops of balsamic vinegar, and a few drops of EVOO
-2 or 3 tablespoons of cooked quinoa with some cooked lentils mixed in
-cauliflower + generous chili sauce drizzle
Yum! What else might one do with the leftovers sauce? (I was thinking maybe a dipping sauce for dumplings, for one…)
Definitely a sauce for dumplings, as a stir fry sauce, drizzled over mashed avocado toast, on any rice/grain bowl, or as a sauteed tofu/tempeh glaze!
-L
Made this last night for dinner. The recipe came together beautifully, and was an easy and quick prep! Absolutely delicious!
These look amazing! Any suggestions for what protein would work best to add to this recipe? Crumbled tempeh, shredded tofu, chickpeas? Thanks :)
Love this question! Maybe a separate baking sheet with my crispy baked tofu bits? Simply tossing in some shredded smoked tofu toward the end of the cauliflower’s cooking time (with about 5-10 minutes left) would also be great! Just give it a little drizzle of oil and some seasoning. Cooked french lentils would also be a great texture pairing!
-L